Tony Houghton’s Post

It’s time to start talking about the companies that are part of the problem and the organisations who endorse them. The UK is currently experiencing a housing crisis, with many people struggling to find a safe and stable home: Homelessness More than 250,000 households in Great Britain are experiencing homelessness. Temporary accommodation Over 112,000 households in England are living in temporary accommodation, which is often expensive and unsuitable. Rough sleeping Rough sleeping is increasing in England, with a 27% increase from the previous year. Social housing Only 9,561 social homes were built in England last year, while 22,023 were sold or demolished. Discrimination People on low incomes, people of color, those with disabilities, refugees, single parents, and LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be affected by the housing crisis. Cost of homelessness Homelessness is devastating and dangerous, with people experiencing homelessness having a shorter average lifespan than the general population.

“#Violence and #economicinsecurity really work in tandem to increase the risk of homelessness for survivors,” said Tiana Moore, policy director for the UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing Initiative. “In a high-cost state like California, extremely low-income survivors have few resources to actually escape violence and find alternate housing.” The report’s findings come from a statewide study conducted by the Initiative from October 2021 to November 2022. Researchers who worked on the study, which surveyed more than 3,000 homeless residents across California, say it was the largest examination of homeless adults in nearly three decades. In the six months prior to becoming homeless, *nearly one in five* cisgender women — those who do not identify as transgender — endured physical violence or abuse from their partner prior to losing their housing, the report found. That’s compared with 3% of cisgender men who said they faced #domesticviolence before homelessness.” https://lnkd.in/gQT5qqN2

Homelessness is not simply a consequence of personal failure but a symptom of a deeply flawed housing system that prioritizes profit over people, resulting in a severe lack of stable, affordable housing that meets people's needs. Black, Indigenous, and Brown communities — along with young people, disabled people, seniors, and LGBTQ+ people — are disproportionately affected by housing insecurity and homelessness. A stark reminder of the historical and structural inequities that underlie our society, the court’s ruling will subject the most burdened among us to further harm and indignity. “Housing is a basic human need and an American civil right. What a shame to relitigate victories already won on behalf of all people. This decision underscores the urgent need for housing policy and strategies to ensure that everyone is safely housed, equally protected, and able to thrive.” Read the full statement here: https://lnkd.in/g5m-TwcT #HousingJustice #SupremeCourtRuling #HousingFutures #Homelessness

San Diego faces a senior homeless crisis with increasing challenges. Nearly 30% of the unsheltered population are seniors, facing rising housing costs and healthcare expenses. For many, homelessness is a first-time experience due to economic hardship or unexpected healthcare costs. Living on the streets exposes seniors to risks, with 54% sleeping outdoors and half managing chronic health conditions. LGBTQIA+ seniors face a double disadvantage, with 40% experiencing homelessness compared to 14% of heterosexual counterparts. Organizations like the Regional Task Force on Homelessness and Serving Seniors provide support, but more efforts are needed. Expanding affordable housing, culturally competent services, and healthcare access are crucial steps to address this crisis. To end senior homelessness, safe housing is essential. Resources like Mi Casa Senior Lifestyle Resource, North County LGBT Center, The San Diego LGBT Center and Serving Seniors offer valuable support. By understanding individual stories and supporting dedicated organizations, we can work towards a future where all San Diegans have access to safe housing because Everyone Deserves A Place To Call Home. #Mymicasa

Plymouth Stories: Sedriece, a queer nonbinary (biracial) person of color, is a learning and development specialist at Plymouth. Sedriece helps to train our employees so that we can support our most vulnerable community members as they exit homelessness. We proudly celebrate Sedriece on International Non-Binary People's Day! "Growing up, I never fit in the box quite right: not white or black enough; never feeling quite right as a girl, while knowing that I wasn't a boy. As I have gotten older, I have grown to become a person younger me never would have dreamed of—but would be in awe of. Am I exactly where I want to be? Of course not. But I can honestly say that I know who I am: I celebrate that I don’t quite fit in those boxes perfectly. It is essential to recognize and address the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA2+ individuals—especially in housing—both as residents and workers. We have so much to give and to share. We exist and we aren’t going anywhere. I love working for Plymouth Housing because I am passionate about advocating for those who are often seen as less than human. Plymouth’s commitment to affordable housing resonates with my values of equity and social justice. It’s not just about providing a roof over someone’s head. It’s about fostering a sense of community, belonging, and dignity. Working here allows me to be part of a larger mission—a mission that goes beyond the bricks and mortar of housing. We do this work because we care about building a more compassionate, inclusive society where everyone has a place to call home." [ #PlymouthStories: A series that illuminates the shared humanity of people impacted by homelessness. Each story features a Plymouth Housing staff member, resident, or supporter. ]

I was contemplating the power of SCOTUS with these new decisions to claim themselves the experts on environmental matters and to criminalized poverty, mental illness, physical health bankruptcy, through the decision to allow municipalities to make houselessness and sleeping in public spaces illegal. The more power they have, the more power they take. More municipalities need to find ways to better care for the most marginalized instead of adding insult to injury through fines, fees, and incarceration. When deciders (those in power) use a racial equity analysis (lens) to make decisions, they are better equipped to center the most vulnerable, the ones they listen to least, and the ones most negatively impacted, SOULutions are found for all to benefit. My ask is of elected officials everywhere. Find humane SOULutions to the houselessness crisis. Don't further traumatized and harm those who are already living without safe, affordable, and supportive housing. #findSOULutions #Housingiasbasichumanneed

Our Supporters may be aware that February is LGBTQIA+ History Month. In accordance with this we have shared some information and guidance re the disproportionate risks of homelessness to this group, particularly young people. We have highlighted a few of the headlines below, which are shocking if not surprising, and present a challenge re some of the sector’s practise. Almost 1 in 5 LGBTQIA+ people (18%) have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. This includes 25% of trans people and 28% of LGBTQIA+ disabled people. Young (18–25-year-old) LGBTQ+ people are four times more likely to become homeless than their peers. 77% of these cite familial rejection and abuse after coming out as the primary cause of their homelessness. The true picture of LGBTQIA+ homelessness remains hidden for reasons such as 40% of mainstream homelessness and housing providers fail to undertake comprehensive and inclusive monitoring of gender and sexual identity. Compared to their non-LGBTQIA+ peers, young LGBTQI+ people facing homelessness are more likely to be subject to violence, sexual exploitation, develop substance abuse problems and engage in higher levels of at-risk sexual behaviour. This includes heightened risk of experiencing violence when sleeping rough, harassment and homophobic and transphobic bullying in temporary accommodation. Members of the LGBTQIA+ population who experience homelessness are also less likely to seek support. If they do, they found services are not always well-equipped to deal with or understand LGBTQIA+ specific issues, especially those of the trans community. Helping Homeless Veterans UK have already housed Veterans of HM Armed Forces that are part of this community and we will never discriminate against any Veteran based on their Race, Religion or Sexuality. Johnny Mercer Tobias Ellwood Office for Veterans' Affairs Selco Builders Warehouse Gecko High Voltage Specialists Ltd & Gecko Health and Safety Apex CB Financial Planning Ltd

My National Alliance to End Homelessness colleague, Daniel Soucy, analyzed recent federal homelessness data and found that gender-expansive people (i.e., individuals whose gender identity has changed since birth, or people who do not identify exclusively within male/female gender categories) are more likely to experience unsheltered homelessness than cisgender people. And– the report shows that gender-expansive people accessed emergency shelter more than Rapid Re-Housing or permanent supportive housing, demonstrating disparities in #housing access for gender-expansive people overall. View their full analysis on current data, policy, and practice regarding gender-expansive #homelessness here:

🏠 🤍 I am a strong believer that understanding women’s homelessness is crucial. 👇 I came across the article (lower) which discusses women’s homelessness …. from sleeping rough to facing overstretched waiting lists for social housing, women are disproportionately affected by the #housing crisis. Their unique needs often go unrecognized, making it essential to shed light on this pressing issue. Women experiencing homelessness encounter distinct challenges, such as heightened risks of violence and exploitation. By acknowledging these challenges and advocating for tailored solutions, we can work towards a more inclusive and effective approach to ending homelessness. #Policy that address the specific needs of women in the housing crisis ensures that #women contibute and are part of society. #Homelessness #WomenEmpowerment #HousingCrisis #SocialJustice #gender #africa #leadership #Understanding #policyanalysis #land #governance #parliament #municipal Gertrude Rose Gamwera Buyinga Alwaleed Philanthropies https:

I grew up in an abusive Catholic institution that was violent toward gay men to 'cure' them. If you ran away from that environment, you wound up homeless for lack of safe, strong family connections, because of intense trauma from being physically, emotionally, sexually, religiously abused & coercively controlled. Knowing victim-survivors of family/intimate partner abuse/violence are highly likely to become unhoused, I feel deeply the horrific, judgemental, victim-blaming responses to them that we have been trained into as a society. No one acknowledges the role & responsibility of violence, abuse perpetrated on them by an institution, parent, partner, family member, teacher/coach/pastor/police officer, a stranger. We must pivot to those causing unhousedness via violence & coercive control. We must stop blaming victims of trauma for the known and prevalent impacts of abuse perpetrated against them. We must assist them in ways that they find supportive and provide environments of safety & self-determination for them to heal. We must invest in the prevention of LGQBTQ+ children being abused, coerced, and harmed in ways that cause unhousedness. We must understand that violence & discrimination against them in our institutions is a targeted hate crime. (This post is in memory of Lylea. Sister I will try to help us do better. You deserved better.)